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Basically, a guy who goes on the UK version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, devices a plan to cheat with a couple of his friends and his wife. Their great masterplan to fool an entire UK audience and a set of highly trained staff who are hired to catch these sort of things? Cough after the right answer. I'm still shocked that they went along with such a simple plan. The sad thing is, if the contestant wasn't such a moron, they might have been able to pull it off. However, as the prize gets bigger, they all get more nervous and careless and eventually start making crucial mistakes that lead them to get convicted. I mean, how the **** do you not know what a googol is?

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

there was a really good article on why this guy could be innocent. basically the guy coughing had a chronic cough, had no way to look up the answers (so actually had to know the answers), and the first winner of $1 Million had something similar happen (coughing after contestant said the answer on 6 of last 10 questions).

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

I made it through the first three parts - FYI, starting midway through the third and apparently through all 8 (!) parts is the actual show. Not gonna sit through those at the moment but the documentary prior was great.

It's a very interesting story that I suggest everyone look at. Great observations from the sound and security people. Regardless, what a classic case of greed - as was said, had he stopped at 125 lbs or a quarter mil they may not have had nor wanted to pursue a case. But he couldn't help himself. Sheesh, the whole thing where he kept blurting out wrong answers EVERY question was suspicious enough much less the coughing.

Cheating on game shows came up recently in this forum. It revolved around tipping off contestants and I guess there is a real threat of jail time if you so much as try to give a sign from the audience. That explains why it doesn't happen very often.

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

The "interruptions of behavior" around 4:00 in the 2nd video is a common poker tell too, according to Caro. For example, if someone is shaking their leg and then makes a bet, and then stops shaking their leg right after, its a sign of a bluff.

Still watching, just wanted to say that.

Chilltown, thats sort of like after the hand when everyone goes "omg I knew he was bluffing.... ...I don't know why, I just knew!"

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

Quote:

Originally Posted by dknightx

there was a really good article on why this guy could be innocent. basically the guy coughing had a chronic cough, had no way to look up the answers (so actually had to know the answers), and the first winner of $1 Million had something similar happen (coughing after contestant said the answer on 6 of last 10 questions).

Not saying he's innocent, but its definitely POSSIBLE

Yeah the part where the cougher somehow knew the answers is eerie. Maybe they had the radio hookup as was described in part one? Someone on the same frequency within range is listening in, radios the correct answer to the cougher's pager or whatever, he coughs the right answer. Because at no point did they search that guy, just the contestant and his wife.

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

OK, part 7, 4:30 or so in is the 1/2 mil question. At that point he says "I don't think it's Paris" [COUGH], then he spends the next minute coming back around to the idea that it could be Paris (another cough), then decides to go with Paris. Then gets a third cough prior to the final answer. The host is dumbfounded. So terribly transparent.

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuq

Yeah the part where the cougher somehow knew the answers is eerie. Maybe they had the radio hookup as was described in part one? Someone on the same frequency within range is listening in, radios the correct answer to the cougher's pager or whatever, he coughs the right answer. Because at no point did they search that guy, just the contestant and his wife.

yeah, thats definitely a possibility. Anyways heres the article i was talking about:

Re: Guy tries to cheat in Who Wants to be a Millionaire and gets caught

Here are my observations after watching all 8 parts of this thing.

The doc makes it look worse than it is--I know I know, coughing is bad bad bad. But for most of the answers he wasn't blurting out wrong answers until he got to the correct response <cue cough> and then locked it in. Most answers his initial thought was actually the correct answer, still cheating b/c the doubt, the money, the stage etc. is what makes the game so tough and second guess yourself and when you have someone teaming up w/ you to confirm and in some cases correct, well, this =millionaire!

As far as the chronic cough guy. I noticed that the coughing went on all show long, not just during the answers, that same cough was constant. But the timing of the coughs and when he switches from Berlin to Paris is just ldo. Also, the wife coughing during the Craig David question was pretty awful too--umm did she realize the camera was going to be on her?